A Multiple Scattering Theory for Proton Penetration

We extend the electron small-angle multiple scattering theory to proton penetration. After introducing the concept of narrow energy spectra,the proton energy loss process is included in the proton deep penetration theory. It precisely describes the whole process of proton penetration.Compared to the Monte Carlo method,this method maintains the comparable precision and possesses much higher computational efficiency. Thus, it shows the real feasibility of applying this algorithm to proton clinical radiation therapy.     

基于2.5 MeV质子加速器BNCT装置的中子慢化材料性能模拟研究

基于加速器中子源的硼中子俘获治疗(Boron Neutron Capture Therapy, BNCT)是新一代的放射治疗方法,束流整形体(Beam Shaping Assembly, BSA)作为硼中子俘获治疗装置的重要组成部分,其作用是将中子源中的快中子束流慢化至超热中子能区(0.5 eV~10 keV),并尽可能减少快中子、热中子以及$\gamma $射线的成分,使其满足BNCT用于治疗的中子束要求。本工作基于蒙特卡罗软件包Geant4(Geometry and Tracking),以2.5 MeV,10 mA质子流强的7Li(p, n)7Be中子源为对象,研究分析了AlF₃ 、Fluental、Al₂O₃、Al作为慢化体材料时,不同的厚度对束流出口处的超热中子注量率、超热中子注量与热中子注量比值、快中子成分、$ \gamma $成分所产生的影响。计算表明,当选用厚度为25 cm的AlF₃作为慢化体材料时,经过整形慢化后的超热中子束的束流参数,均满足国际原子能机构(International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA)的中子束流参数推荐值。     

MRI引导放射治疗中电子回转效应的蒙特卡罗研究

为了研究磁共振引导放射治疗对剂量分布的影响,采用蒙特卡罗方法研究了横向均匀磁场对6 MV光子束在4种不同人体组织材料与空气界面处因电子回转效应导致剂量分布的改变。模拟显示,对于电离能相近的几种材料,磁场对剂量分布扰动的差别较小,而且电离能较大的材料,这种扰动明显变小。结果表明,磁场的引入会影响光子束原有的剂量分布,且这种影响与材料的电离能有关。这意味着虽然磁共振引导放射治疗可以增强靶向精度,提高治疗效果,但磁场会导致光子束剂量分布的改变,且不同的组织这种改变也不相同,这将为相应的剂量算法研究带来了新的挑战。A Monte Carlo code was used to study the discrepancy resulted from the emergence of magnetic field in MRI guided radiotherapy. In this work, four different tissue phantoms with magnetic field and 6 MV photon were studied, and the dose distributions at the interface of phantom-air were evaluated. It is found that the differences of the dose perturbation are small between the materials with similar ionization energy. However, the dose perturbation decreased significantly for the material with high ionization energy. The results of this study demonstrate that magnetic field will change the dose distribution of photon beam and the dose perturbation associated with ionization energy of materials. It means that magnetic resonance imaging guided radiotherapy can enhance the target accuracy, but the magnetic field will change the dose distribution of photon beam, and the perturbation was not the same for the different materials of human tissue, it has brought new challenges for the research of dose algorithm.     

L-Shell X-Ray Production Cross Sections of Au and Ir Atoms by Electron Impact near the Threshold Region

L-shell production cross sections Lα, Lβ and Lγ for Au and Ir atoms have been measured by electron impact at incident electron energies of about one to three times of the threshold energy. The total production cross section and mean ionization cross section were obtained from the experimental results and by using mean fluorescence yield, respectively. The influence of electrons reflected from the substrate and multiple electron scattering inside the target have been corrected. The experimental results are compared with the existing measured results and the theoretical predictions.     

Off-axis dose distribution for rectangle proton beam

This papcr modifies an analytical algorithm originally developed for electron dose calculations to evaluate the off-axis dose distribution of rectangle proton bcam. This spatial distribution could be described by Fermi-Eyges theory since a proton undergoes small-angle scattering when it passes through medium. Predictions of the algorithm for relative off-axis dose distribution by a 6 cm ＊ 6 cm initial monoenergetic proton beam are compared with the results from the published Monte Carlo simulations. The excellent level of agreement between the results of these two methods of dose calculation （〈 2%） demonstrates that the off-axis dose distribution from rectangle proton beam may be computed with high accuracy using this algorithm. The results also prompts the necessity to consider the off-axis distribution when the proton is applied to clinical radiotherapy since the penumbra is significant at the distal of its range （about 0.6 cm at the Bragg-peak depth）.     

化学气相沉积-氧化烧结法制备惯性约束聚变靶用空心玻璃微球

为实现惯性约束聚变靶用空心玻璃微球直径、壁厚的可控,采用等离子体辉光放电聚合技术,以四甲基硅烷为掺杂气源,对化学气相沉积-氧化烧结法制备空心玻璃微球(HGM)这一制备方法进行了探索。实验结果表明:制备直径为400~600μm、壁厚为5~15μm的HGM,原子分数为5%是一个较合适的掺硅量,成功将微球直径和壁厚的收缩量控制在38%左右;玻璃化后样品中C含量明显降低,主要以C—Si键合形式存在,而Si含量相对增加,主要以Si—O键合形式存在;预充1.23×106 Pa氘气的微球,96h后球内剩余气压依然高达72.95%。     

工作压强对空心玻璃微球表面形貌和性能的影响

采用化学气相沉积-氧化烧结法,在不同工作压强条件下,制备了惯性约束聚变靶用空心玻璃微球(HGM)。利用扫描电子显微镜、原子力显微镜、VMR显微镜系统和能谱仪对HGM的表面形貌、球形度、壁厚均匀性以及成分进行了表征。分析了工作压强对HGM表面形貌、球形度、壁厚均匀性和成分的影响以及相互关系。研究表明:HGM的表面形貌随工作压强的增大而变得平滑致密,表面均方根粗糙度逐渐减小。随工作压强增大,HGM的球形度没有发生明显变化,而壁厚均匀性得到不断提高,微球中C元素浓度逐渐降低,Si元素浓度不断升高,O元素浓度基本保持不变。     

基于蒙特卡罗方法的XHA600D医用电子直线加速器的入射电子束参数研究

使用蒙特卡罗方法研究入射电子束参数对XHA600D医用电子直线加速器产生的剂量分布的影响,并确定优化的入射电子束参数。根据厂商提供的XHA600D加速器治疗头的几何、材料参数,使用蒙特卡罗程序EGSnrc对不同的入射电子束参数进行模拟并记录其在水模体中产生的剂量分布,将模拟结果与测量结果进行比较。模拟的入射电子束参数包括平均能量、径向强度分布、角度展宽和能量展宽;实验测量数据包括4 cm×4 cm、10 cm×10 cm、30 cm×30 cm射野条件下的百分深度剂量与离轴剂量。结果表明当入射电子束的平均能量为6 MeV、径向强度的半高宽(Full Width at Half Maximum, FWHM)为0.25 cm、角度展宽为0.15°时,模拟结果和测量结果吻合非常好。这些参数可以作为建立适用于XHA600D加速器的TPS(Treatment Planning System)剂量计算模型的基础参数。     

L-Shell X-Ray Production Cross Sections of Ta and Tm by Electron Impact near the Threshold Region

We present experimental measurements of L-shell production cross sections Lα, Lβ and Lγ for tantalum and thulium by electron impact at incident electron energies from about one to three times the threshold energy. From the experimental data, the total production cross section and mean ionization cross section are deduced. The influence of electrons reflected from the substrate is corrected by the electron transport bipartition model. Tile measured cross sections are compared with the theoretical predictions.     

弧形调强放射治疗对剂量计算方法的要求

在弧形调强放射治疗的治疗计划设计中, 由于包含有很多照射方向, 调强最优化的射束元矩阵计算需要很大的计算量和存储量, 为提高计算效率常使用简化剂量计算模型计算射束元矩阵, 因此有必要研究简化模型对治疗计划质量产生影响。 对一个模拟例子和一个临床实例, 使用没考虑散射效应的原射线剂量计算模型计算射束元矩阵, 由此进行最优化计算。 在得到最优化强度分布后, 通过比较原射线剂量计算模型和微分卷积剂量计算模型得到的剂量分布, 研究了不同射束数目条件下, 使用简化剂量计算模型计算射束元剂量矩阵对最终的剂量分布质量的影响。 结果表明, 在射线束很多的情况下(对应弧形调强照射）, 用简化的剂量计算模型, 即不考虑散射来计算射束元剂量矩阵, 会导致靶区剂量分布的质量大大低于预期的剂量分布质量, 因此, 弧形调强放射治疗的最优化计算中, 有效考虑散射的影响是必要的。 In the treatment planning for arc intensity modulated radiation therapy, because many irradiation directions are involved, the computing time and storage space needed for calculating beamlet dose matrices in optimization is quite heavy. In order to improve the computation efficiency, the simplified dose calculation is often used for the calculation of the dose matrices. Thus, it is deserved to study how this simplification could influence the quality of the treatment plan. In this paper, a simulation and a clinical case are adopted. Using the primary dose calculation model without taking into account the scattering effect to generate the dose matrices of beamlets, the optimization for beam intensity profile are firstly carried out. Then, based on the obtained intensity profile, the dose distributions are recalculated by using the primary dose calculation model and the differential convolution superposition dose calculation model which is more accurate but more time consuming. By comparing dose distributions obtained by this two models, the influence of using simplified model for dose matrix calculation on beam profile optimization is studied. The results demonstrate that when the beam number is large(corresponding to the arc modulated radiation), using the simplified model for the calculation of dose matrix of beamlets will reduce the quality of dose distribution greatly comparing with the expected dose distribution quality. Thus it is very necessary to correctly take into account the scattering effect in beam profile optimization for the arc intensity modulated radiation therapy.